Great Classic Rock Never Dies!
8 Classic Rock Songs Make Apple Music’s Top 500 Most-Streamed Songs
When Apple Music dropped its list of the Top 500 Most-Streamed Songs of All Time, it was clear: today’s charts belong to modern pop, hip-hop, and algorithm-approved anthems. But buried in the shuffle, a few classic rock tracks held their ground — not as nostalgia, but as proof that great songs can’t be contained to just one generation.
Sitting comfortably at #118 is Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” In 1977, it was a radio staple. In 2020, it became a viral hit — thanks to a guy cruising on a skateboard with cranberry juice. You couldn’t script it, and yet here it is, still racking up streams.
At #156, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” continues to defy category, logic, and skip buttons. It’s six minutes long, shifts genres three times, and still shows up on playlists across every generation. It’s also the most-streamed song from the 20th century across all platforms, which feels right.
AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” punched in at #245 — a song made for loud speakers, air guitar, and pregame rituals that involve yelling “THUN-DAH” in unison.
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” made it to #250. This flannel anthem of the 90s is still moody and still completely unbothered.
The Eagles’ “Hotel California” came in at #287, followed by a string of heavy hitters in the last portion of the list: Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, AC/DC’s “Back in Black”, Toto’s “Africa”, Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”, and Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.”
Classic rock isn’t taking over the list. It’s just reminding everyone it never left.
Doug O’Brien
